Yarn clearer



MARCELLUS YARN CLEARER Filed July 22, 1940 July 14, 1942.

a1 INVENTOR .Brao/fs Marcel/us ATTORNEYS Patented July 14, 1942 UNITED YARN CLEARER Brooks Marcellus, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Barber-Colman Company, Rockford, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 22, 1940, Serial No. 346,753

8 Claims.

The invention pertains to a device employed in winders or spoolers for the purpose of clearing the yarn being wound of particles of fiber, leaf and other matter and for breaking the yarn to prevent the passage through the device of gouts or other enlargements.

More particularly the invention constitutes an improvement in yarn clearers of the type disclosed in United States patent to Peterson No. 2,122,989, wherein a pivotally mounted blade is normally held with one edge in a predetermined spaced relation to an opposing abutment so as to form a narrow passageway for the running strand; the blade being held in its normal position by means of a. spring adapted to yield upon engagement with the blade by a gout or other enlargement on the yarn and permit the edge of the blade to move into engagement with the abutment so as to grip and break the thread, thereby preventing the passage of the enlargement onto the cheese or other package being wound. In devices of this latter character the movement of the blade toward the opposing abutment under the influence of an enlargement on the yarn necessarily involves an increase in the restraining force exertedby the spring as the edge of the blade approaches the abutment, and although the range of movement is small, the degree of sensitivity of the device decreases at a critical point so that the device may in some instances fail to break the yarn and thus allow the undesired object thereon to pass.

With the foregoing in view the primary object of this invention is to provide a yarn clearer of increased sensitivity insuring elimnation of undesired gouts or similar enlargements on the yarn.

Another object is to provide an adjusting means of improved construction for varying the size of the passageway through the device to adapt the same for yarns of different count or size.

The objects of the invention thus generally stated together with other and'ancillary advantages are attained by the construction and arrangement set forth by way of illustration in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a fragmentary perspective View of a yarn clearer embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational View with portions broken away to show details of construction.

Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken approximately in the plane of line 33 of Fig. 2.

with the support for the movable blade shown in section.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the movable blade support taken approximately in the planeof line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the blade and its supporting structure.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken approximately in the plane of line 1-1 of Fig. 2 and showing details of construction.

The improved yarn clearer is adapted for use in various forms of winders or spoolers, but is particularly adaptable to automatic winders of the type disclosed in United States patents to Colman Nos. 1,267,977 and 1,274,386. As herein shown, the device comprises a stationary abutment or gripping plate l2 preferably providing a. smooth fiat surface along which the yarn passes; and a sensitive gripping element in the form of a blade I3 inclined toward the plate [2 in the direction of approach of the yarn and swingably supported with its gripping edge normally spaced from the surface of the plate l2 a predetermined distance and forming therewith a narrow slot or passageway for the running strand of yarn a.

The stationary grip plate I2 is mounted upon the vertical leg of an angle bracket [4 extending horizontally from one side of an upright housing I5; and the movable gripping element or blade I3 is mounted upon a rock shaft 16 also supported by and projecting from said housing parallel with the plate 12 and at one side thereof.

' The housing I5 comprises a pair of laterally spaced standards I! and I8 rigid with a base plate l9 and providing suitable bearings 20 and 2| for the rock shaft Hi. The angle bracket 14 extends outwardly from the housing at one side of th rock shaft and a plurality of rods 22 are supported in vertically spaced somewhat staggered relation in the standards I! and I8 and project outwardly from the housing above vthe stationary gripping plate I2 for the purpose of guiding the running strand after its passage upwardly between the late 12 and blade l3. Beneath the plate l2 th thread is guided between the opposed edges of a pair of vertically spaced plates 23 and 24 respectively carried by the standard l1 and the base plate l9; and an additional guide member is formed by a plate 25 secured to the underside of the base plate [9 and formed with a notch 26 for the reception of the strand.

Th means for supporting the movable gripping element or blade I3 on the rock shaft l6 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view 55 comprises a yoke 21 rigid therewith and carrying at opposite ends pivot pins 28 and 29 engaging in sockets in opposite ends of the blade (Fig. 5). The shaft I6 is normally held stationary and the yoke is offset downwardly from the axis of the shaft a shown clearly in Figs. 4 and 6, with th pivotal axis of the blade [3 coaxial with the shaft. Preferably the active edge of the blade is serrat d as shown in Fig. 5.

In the attainment of the principal object of my invention, namely, greater sensitivity to the attempted passage of undesirable enlargements on the yarn, I utilize a magnetic force of a predetermined value for releasably holding the blade with its free or active edge in its normally spaced relation to the stationar gripping plate I 2. The use of such a force, as compared to that of the spring heretofore employed, is advantageous in that once the force is overcome by the engagement with the blade by an enlargement on the strand, the blade is thereafter free to move without further restraint, thereby insuring that the blade will operate to grip and break the thread and prevent passage of the enlargement through the device and onto the package being wound. In this connection it will be observed that when the blad is held in position by means of a spring, a gradually increasing force must be exerted on the blade to overcome the increasing tension of the spring a the blade approaches the opposed gripping plate l2, and for this reason gouts or other undesirable enlargements on th strand may in some cases be permitted to pass.

The means employed in th present instance for magnetically holding the blade [3 in its normal position relative to the plate 42 comprises a permanent magnet in the form of a flat bar secured to the side of the yoke 2'! adjacent the plate i2 (Fig. 4). The upper edge of this bar is offset relative to the axis of the blade and toward the free edge of the latter, and forms an abutment or seat for the blade. For this latter purpose such upper edge of the bar is cut away in its central portion to provide two pole pieces 3! (Figs. 4 and 6) which together constitute the aforesaid seat. The blade I3 is, of course, made of a magnetic materia1 such as steel and is held to its seat on the bar 36 with a magnetic force properly proportioned to the forc xerted on the blade by any undesired enlargement on the running strand so as to release the blade and cause it to grip and break th strand. When such breakage of thelthread occurs, this fact is detected in the usual way by a sensitive feeler of which one prong 32 is shown in Fig. 4 disposed Q clockwise to release a strand of yarn gripped by the blade l3 in cooperation with the plate l2, this operation occurring automatically when the device is used in an automatic winder of the type shown in said Patent No. 1,267,977. In the present embodiment the portion of the shaft it which is enclosed in the housing 15 carries a radial crank pin 33 (Figs. 2 and 7) held against a normally stationary stop shoulder 34 by the action of a spring 35 (Fig, 7), one end of the spring being anchored to a bracket 35 and the other. end connected to a sheet metal clip 3'! partially encircling the shaft and having a bent end engaging in a notch or recess 33 in the shaft.

The stop shoulder 34 is formed on the lower end of a plate or slide 39 suitably mounted for vertical sliding movement in the housing between the standards I! and I 8 thereof, the upper end of the slide being bent to form a shoe 4!) for engagement by a depressing-cam (not shown) on the travelling mechanism of an automatic winder. Upward movement of the slide 39 by the spring 35 is limited by a cam M fixed upon a shaft 42 and bearing upon a follower lug M formed integral with the slide. The latter is slotted as at 43 to receive the shaft s2, and the lug 4 l is offset from the plane of the slide for engagement with the cam.

The cam shaft 42 is suitably journaled in a bridge member 12 (Fig. 3) extending between the standards I! and I3 of the housing 15; and to provide for a manual adjustment of the cam, the shaft 42 is extended through a front cover plate 44 of the housing (Fig. 1), the slide being disposed between the cover plate and the cam (Fig. 3). The cover plate 44 is removably secured at its lower end to the base plate l9 and extends upwardly between the standards IT and I8; and the side of the housing opposite that closed by the cover plate 124 is similarly closed by a plate 46 (Fig. 3).

It will be seen that by rotating the cam 4|, the slide 39 may be adjusted vertically and through its engagement with the crank pin 33 is adapted to shift the position of the rock shaft 16. This adjustment is used when setting a group of clearing devices in an automatic winder as set forth in the United States patent to Peterson No. 2,202,317. Additionally it is desirable to provide a fine adjustment between the slide 39 and the rock shaft 15 for the purpose of initially locating the position of the blade 53 relative to the opposing plate !2. This is effectually accomplished by mounting the crank pin 33 in the shaft 16 (Figs. 2 and 5) eccentricall of a rotatable hub 41. For this purpose a hole 49 is drilled diametrically of the shaft, of a size large enough to permit the orbital movement of the pin 33 in the rotation of the hub ll, and the hole is counterbored to form a bearing for the hub. The latter terminates substantially flush with the side of the shaft opposite the pin 33, and is formed with an end slot 48 for the reception of a screw driver bit. To hold the pin in any desired position of adjustment, the shaft is drilled axially to receive a locking pin 49 and counterbored to receive a set screw 56 operative to force the locking pin into binding engagement with the hub portion M, It will be seen that by this construction the free edge of the blade I3 may be quickly and easily adjusted relative to the plate i2 and then looked in its adjusted position.

I claim as my invention:

1. A yarn clearing device having, in combination, a part forming one wall of a slot for the passage of a running strand of yarn, a member providing a seat, and a movable clearing element magnetically held against said seat with a predetermined force and acting when in such position to form the other wall of said slot, said clearing element being mounted for movement toward said part to close said slot and being releasable from its seat by an obstruction on the yarn engaging the element.

2. A yarn clearing device comprising, in combination, means providing a yarn guiding surface, a gripping element having an edge for cooperation with said surface to form a narrow passage for a running strand of yarn. said element being swingably mounted with said edge movable toward and from said surface, and means including a magnet for releasably holding said element in a normal position with the edge thereof in a predetermined spaced relation to said surface.

3. A yarn clearing device comprising, in combination, means providing a yarn guiding surface, a rotatably adjustable supporting member mounted in spaced parallel relation to said surface and providing a seat, a blade swingably mounted on said member and disposed in inclined relation to said surface with one edge adapted to cooperate with the surface to form a passage for a running strand of yarn, said blade having a part magnetically held against said seat on the supporting member and releasable there from by a force of predetermined value applied to the blade in the direction of movement of the running strand.

4. A yarn clearing device comprising, in combination, means providing a yarn guiding surface, a supporting member mounted in spaced parallel relation to said surface, a blade swingably mounted on said member and disposed in inclined relation to said surface with one edge portion adapted to cooperate with said surface, said supporting member having a permanent magnet thereon, and said blade being of magnetic material and abutting said magnet so as to be held releasably thereby with said edge in a predetermined spaced relation to said surface.

5. A yarn clearing device comprising, in combination, an abutment providing a yarn guiding surface, a rock shaft having an offset portion forming a yoke, a blade of magnetic material pivotally mounted between the ends of said yoke, a permanent magnet carried by the yoke and acting upon said plate to hold it releasably against swinging movement, and means for ad justably supporting said rock shaft to position said edge of the blade a predetermined distance from said yarn guiding surface.

6. A yarn clearing device comprising, in combination, means providing a yarn guiding surface, a rock shaft, a blade swingably mounted on said rock shaft and having one edge adapted to cooperate with said surface, a generally horizontal crank pin on said rock shaft, a vertically shiftable slide providing an adjustable stop engageable by said pin, a spring acting on said rock shaft to hold the crank pin against said stop, means for releasably holding said blade against swinging movement relative to said rock shaft With said edge spaced from said yarn guiding surface to form therewith a slot for a running strand of yarn, said crank pin being eccentrically mounted on said shaft and adapted for rotational adjustment relative to said stop to vary the width of said slot, and means extending axially through the shaft for holding said crank pin in adjusted position.

7. A yarn clearing device comprising, in com bination, a member providing a yarn guiding surface, a rock shaft mounted in spaced parallel relation to said surface, a blade mounted on said rock shaft, and means acting upon said shaft to hold said blade with one edge normally spaced from said yarn guiding surface to form a slot for the passage of a running strand of yarn, said means comprising a shiftable slide providing an adjustable stop at one side of the rock shaft and a crank pin on the rock shaft coacting with said stop and adjustable relative to the rock shaft to shift the position of the shaft and thereby the position of said blade relative to said surface.

8. A yarn clearing device comprising, in combination, means providing a yarn guiding surface, a gripping element mounted for movement toward and from said surface, and means including a magnet normally holding said gripping element in a predetermined spaced relation to said surface, said element being releasable from its normal position by the application thereto in the direction of movement of the running strand of a force of a predetermined value.

BROOKS MARCELLUS. 

